r your sweet kindliness to me.
Why, you might have sent me flying about my business with nothing more
than a curt No. I'm glad you didn't do that!"

"I don't treat my friends like that," and Patty smiled, relieved that
the ordeal was practically over. "Now, will you help us with the House
Sale?"

"In a _minute_! But tell me what house is to be sold?"

"Oh, no, we don't sell any house. It's really a sort of Bazaar, but
instead of holding it in a hall or any big place, we have it in a
house,--this house, in fact."

"Here?"

"Yes, next week. It's a horrid nuisance,--the getting ready and
clearing up afterward, I mean,--but we want to make money for the
library of our working girls' club."

"Let me give you the money you'd make, and then don't have the Bazaar
thing."

"You're awfully good, Phil, and I'd like to do that. But it wouldn't
work. The Club would just take your contribution and then go calmly on
and have a Bazaar or something beside."

"But it would let _you_ out. You needn't have it here."

"That would be selfish. I'm too selfish as it is. No, I'll have the
sale here. Of course, the committee will help, and all that, but well,
you know what committees are."

"Yes, they let the chairman do everything and then they criticise. And
I'll bet you're chairman, aren't you?"

"Yes," Patty laughed. "How you do catch on! But I'm not shifting
responsibility. Indeed, I'd rather do it all, if I could do it my own
way. But they all tell me what to do, and then whatever's wrong is my
fault."

"I know. All committees are like that. Well, just do the best you can
and let me help all I can. Is there much I can do?"

"Why, yes, I think so. At least there will be on the day of the Sale.
Come round then and we'll set you to work."

"Glad to. What is to be sold? Can't I buy some things?"

"Yes, indeed. It's a novel sale, in this way: There are wares all over
the house. In the library we'll sell books, and in the dining-room,
food, and, also, china and glass and fancy linens."

"And in the drawing-room here?"

"Oh, here we'll have the bric-a-brac and pictures and small pieces of
furniture,--all these things have been donated, you know. And up in
the bedrooms we're to have things to wear, and lace pillows and dresser
scarfs and all such things; oh, and hats! And in my boudoir there'll
be wonderful kimonos and breakfast caps, and work-baskets and bags and
really lovely things."

"I believ